In general, surgical assistants have the following responsibilities:
- Determine specific equipment needed per procedure
- Review permit to confirm procedure and special needs
- Select and place X-rays for reference
- Assist in moving and positioning of patient
- Insert and remove Foley urinary bladder catheter
- Place pneumatic tourniquet
- Confirm procedure with surgeon
- Drape patient within surgeon's guidelines
- Provide retraction of tissue and organs for optimal visualization with regard to tissue type and appropriate retraction instrument and/or technique
- Assist in maintaining hemostasis by direct pressure, use and application of appropriate surgical instrument for the task, placement of ties, placement of suture ligatures, application of chemical hemostatic agents, or other measures as directed by the surgeon
- Use electrocautery mono- and bi-polar
- Clamp, ligate and cut tissue per surgeon's directive
- Harvest saphenous vein, including skin incision, per surgeon's directive
- Dissect common femoral artery and bifurcate per surgeon's directive
- Maintain integrity of sterile field
- Close all wound layers (facia, subcutaneous and skin) as per surgeon's directive
- Insert drainage tubes per surgeon's directive
- Select and apply wound dressings
- Assist with resuscitation of patient during cardiac arrest or other life-threatening events in the operating room
- Perform any other duties or procedures incident to the surgical procedure deemed necessary and as directed by the surgeon
